One of my most fond memories of my Memaw is helping her make buttermilk biscuits. I always loved mixing up the dough and patting them out, but I think what made it so awe-inspiring as a kid was that she never measured anything. I guess she measured long ago, but had made so many batches of biscuits she didn't have to measure anymore. She made them so often she just kept a sheet of wax paper in the flour container and when it came time to whip up a batch, she'd pull it out, along with her flour sifter and old, misshapen measuring cup (aka the flour scoop).
I had some buttermilk and a craving for biscuits last week, so I woke up early Saturday and decided to try my hand at them. Just the smell of the buttermilk and flour together (and the sticky-doughed fingers) took me back. Memaw used to mix them up, then I would pinch them off and rolls the biscuits, because they just weren't a proper southern biscuit if you did them with a biscuit cutter.
I've found out through cooking away from home that my family's secret recipes weren't really a secret at all. Mom's chocolate chip cookies - off the back of the Hershey's Chocolate Chip bag. Memaw's Buttermilk Biscuits - off of the back of the White Lily All-Purpose Flour bag. So, with that said, the requirement for making these biscuits is White Lily Flour. I did not have White Lily Flour, and I was not going to the store at 7am in my nightgown to get some, so I was a heathen and made it with another all-purpose brand. I researched into this a little bit though, and found out that White Lily has a lower amount of protein in their flour, which results in lighter biscuits. So I guess the women in my family were right all those years. I won't share the heathen recipe, but here is the White Lily Recipe in case this nostalgic post has you craving crumbly, buttery goodness.
I'm totally making these soon! Thanks for sharing, Emma!
ReplyDeleteOh, you got me all teary!! I used to make Mother's biscuits, but because we didn't measure I never got it right for the four of us. I have to rely on the ones in the freezer section. Love you, Aunt Vera
ReplyDeleteP.S. Jimmy said he didn't believe you were up at 7:00 on a Saturday morning! I read your post to him.
Emma, my mother has never used anything but White Lilly too. I have to admit that I don't think I've ever bought anything other than that brand either (and I do use a great deal of store brands).
ReplyDeleteYou made me cry. I'm so glad you have such good memories of Mama.
ReplyDeleteBob tried the recipe off the White Lily bag the other day, too. His biscuits were good, but very dense. I think he might have kneaded them too much, but what do I know because I can no longer make good biscuits with any kind of flour.
We have a lady at our church that makes stupendous biscuits using White Lily flour and water; nothing else. Now that you have researched it and come up with the protein factor I can understand how she does it. (plus the fact that she has raised 10 kids). Love your blog.